


but it's better if you do

by kagebon



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anniversary, Attempt at Humor, Bad Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Freeform, He's just bad at it, I Caved, Kinda, Kokichi goes by Joker lol, M/M, Mr Worldwide is mentioned WAY too much, Oh also, Oma Kokichi Is a Little Shit, Phantom Thief Oma Kokichi, Pre-Slash, Saiouma Pit White Day 2021, Tired Saihara Shuichi, he's so tired..., i think, listen kokichi is trying, society.... yk, sorry for that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:28:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29944497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kagebon/pseuds/kagebon
Summary: His aureate eyes softened as they landed on the note, fondness seeping into his expression despite himself. Joker was athief. What sort of detective would he be, falling for the leader of a group of petty criminals he had been chasing for about a year now?(And yet, Shuichi found himself pondering how Joker’s hand would feel in his own, without the white, somehow unstained gloves. Or what color his eyes were - a light blue, mayhaps? Or a deep green, like emeralds.)-(written for the saiou pit white day one prompt: anniversary/wedding OR pre-game)
Relationships: Oma Kokichi & DICE, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 24
Collections: Saiouma Pit White Day 2021 Collection: Day 1: Anniversary/Wedding AND/OR Pre-Game





	but it's better if you do

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact i had a whole different thing planned for all three prompts and then scrapped them last second,, , , also apologizing rn for the mr worldwide jokes

Truthfully, the note had almost gone unnoticed. 

It had been placed in between the 67th and 68th pages of the mystery novel, which had been stashed away in Shuichi’s office for who knows how long. In fact, the only reason he had noticed it was because his eyes had grown used to seeking out anything obnoxiously colored - especially items coated in the less-than-pleasing color of neon purple. 

His fingers grazed the top of the book, a puff of air pushing from his lips in the form of an exasperated sigh. If Joker would go as far as to _break in_ to his office to hide this note - then it has to be of some importance. Not that any other hints or riddles were unimportant - Shuichi knew better than anyone how Joker worked. His teasing and acts of poking fun at law enforcement all had meaning, even if it was shrouded in jests and lies. Shaking the thoughts away, the detective decided to not even ponder _how_ the renowned thief managed to slip into the agency without being caught or seen on the security cameras, (Joker was brilliant, despite his childish demeanor and acts of crime) and instead gingerly pulled the note loose from the pages. 

His aureate eyes softened as they landed on the note, fondness seeping into his expression despite himself. Joker was a _thief_. What sort of detective would he be, falling for the leader of a group of petty criminals he had been chasing for about a year now?

(And yet, Shuichi found himself pondering how Joker’s hand would feel in his own, without the white, somehow unstained gloves. Or what color his eyes were - a light blue, mayhaps? Or a deep green, like emeralds.) 

Any other person would’ve scoffed in annoyance at what was written on the note - but Shuichi had come to enjoy the puzzles the thief would leave for him. Most were tedious, resulting in him having to consult his friends or co-workers, only to be thrown into another puzzle as soon as he found the answer to the initial one. But some hints were… easy. So easy, in fact, that Shuichi often wondered if he had come to the wrong conclusion, or if Joker had wanted him to figure it out quickly. The note seemed to be more of the latter - easy, and one that he wanted Shuichi to find out in a timely manner, seeing as it was filled to the brim with what he instantly placed as binary code. 

Shuichi was quick to search up a translator, the soft smile on his lips seeming to grow upon seeing the links that popped up, all shaded purple from having been used a myriad of times before. His nimble fingers began to type the code in, number by number, continuously flickering his gaze between the note and the screen to make sure it was right.

_First location. Sixth’s time._

_Be there or be square, my beloved! <3_

_-Mr. Worldwide_

The laugh forced its way from his throat, years of insecurity resulting in the back of his hand pressing to his lips as he smiled from the way Joker had signed the note. It was a lighthearted joke, but Shuichi had been surprised enough in the past year to briefly entertain the thought that he had a meeting with the American rapper.

“First’s location… sixth’s time...?” Shuichi murmured to himself as his eyes scanned back over the first bit, eyebrows furrowing in curiosity. There was only one thing this could mean - Joker’s heists. He turned to the cases near him, pulling out the one adorned in bright colors and stickers from the few times Joker had broken in and toyed with Shuichi’s office. The other offices and rooms hadn’t been targeted, and he could only assume that he was singled out from how close he had gotten to the other over the time he had spent chasing him. “Close” being used loosely, of course. There was only a certain amount of bonding one could do on the roof of a building that had been subject to a heist, with the culprit in front of him. 

Luckily, Shuichi had already spent countless hours making sure every case was in chronological order - so it wasn’t hard to find the two cases in question. Pulling out the cases, he started with the sixth. 

“The sixth’s time,” He repeated to himself, examining the pieces of evidence that had related to the case. Back then, he hadn’t known Joker, or truly how he worked. He didn’t understand the thief fully yet, either, but his understanding of the way the other went about leaving his hints had increased significantly. “...Ahah!” Shuichi’s body straightened, ends of his lips quirking up as one of the hints Joker had left behind before that case had listed the time. Or, it listed the time in some code, but Shuichi had written it to the side. 

His attention then shifted to the other file. First’s location… Wow, Joker was really giving these hints away, wasn’t he? Even the hints for the second heist - after Joker realized that Shuichi had been assigned to the case, and wouldn’t get away as easily - were more hidden than this. Nonetheless, he wrote both pieces of the information down on a separate note, mind running with possibilities of what Joker could want.

_MUFG bank, midnight._

Joker didn’t strike the same place twice - or, at least, he didn’t seem to. His acts of theft seemed politically driven, but there was nothing that the MUFG banks had done that would warrant a second hit, making this whole thing seem oddly suspicious.

Maybe this was a distraction? Was Joker trying to get Shuichi to one side of the city, so his gang could go through with a heist somewhere else? Or... Or maybe that’s what he wanted him to think. Maybe there was nothing more to it, just a proposition to meet up, for reasons unbeknownst to him, and he made it so painfully easy that he wanted to make sure Shuichi was there. 

That... sounded plausible, but the doubt lingered in his mind throughout the few hours leading up to his departure to meet Joker, festering and covering more of his mind. 

Shuichi arrived at about half an hour before midnight, having decided to come alone. That was probably what Joker wanted - though, he wasn’t stupid enough to not bring any form of protection, despite how the entirety of his gang were pacifists. 

So now, on the roof of a building he hadn’t been on in almost a year, all Shuichi could do was wait. For some reason, he was antsy. His interactions with Joker were sporadic, and some were definitely more friendly than others. With how the clues to this… “heist” were placed, Shuichi could safely assume that this would be a more friendly encounter. After all, there was a reason he had decided not to bring any sort of backup. 

While he had been the only one to ever get even slightly close to catching Joker, backup was still needed - sometimes only to quell the overactive thoughts in his mind. But tonight, something told him to come alone. And, while he was smart enough to bring something to defend himself with if needed, he wasn’t smart enough to ignore that nagging thought. So here he was - alone. But that wasn’t what he was anxious about. No, he trusted Joker, as much as possible in their weird flirtatious enemies dynamic. The anxiety that plagued him simply was caused by the fact that he knew something was going to happen - and he was just waiting for it. 

Who knows how long Joker would be? Or maybe his doubts had been right, and he was currently who-knows-where, stealing something important that he’d definitely get in trouble for not stopping. Or, maybe he-

“Detective! You came!” 

Or maybe, he was here, in all his moderately short glory. Joker’s arms were outstretched as he spoke as if he had the world at his fingertips - and suddenly, _Mr. Worldwide_ wasn’t only a name for an American rapper. 

“...Ah, you look awfully different from the pictures I saw of you, Mr. Worldwide,” Shuichi hummed, his worries blowing away with the wind. “But, of course I did. It’d be foolish of me to ignore such an… obvious clue.” 

“Oh? My beloved suddenly got a sense of humor! Thank God, you were starting to bore me with your stoic act. But that’s a lie - the only thing boring is that puzzle! It was so stupid, was it not? Alas, I had to make sure you’d come on time.” Joker huffed behind his mask, keeping his usual theatrics up as his arms folded in behind his head, “Now that I’ve arrived, you’re probably suuuuper confused, hmm? Wondering why I, Joker, Mr. Worldwide, ruler of the universe and master riddle-maker, would devise such an easy hint for you? Well! That’s because I’m going on another heist! A big one, this time. Bigger than anything I’ve ever stolen.” 

Shuichi’s eyes narrowed, the more relaxed attitude being replaced with something more appropriate for a detective conversing with a known criminal. “A heist..? No, no - you couldn’t. You hadn’t even tried to hide where you’d be, and the time. It’d be stupid to try to commit a big crime right now.” 

“Well… let me ask you, _detective._ Where is your backup? Who would be there waiting to help you if - say, my goons are scoping out a jewelry store six blocks from here? Hmm?” Joker took a step forward, head tilted slightly as he spoke, “I have the upper hand here, Saihara.” 

No matter how Shuichi could look at it, Joker was right. Not bringing backup was foolish, on his part, and he had failed to realize that help would also be necessary to putting a stop to any attempted theft. 

“To be honest, I’m surprised that you came alone! But...even if they were with you, I doubt they’d be any help.” Seeing the detective’s confused expression, Joker continued. “I’ve already stolen it!”

“...What?” That got Shuichi’s attention. Did Joker switch things up? Commit a crime while he was distracted, only to bring him here to mock him? No, no, that couldn’t be possible. Right? 

“Nishishi! That’s right! A heist, committed right before your eyes…” The shorter boy continued to press forward, until his chest was nearly pressed to Shuichi’s. “Don’t you want to know what I’ve stolen, right under your nose?” 

The air around them got tense, but not in the way that most crimes did. Shuichi’s chest felt like it would burst if Joker spoke again, or got any closer. His face was on fire, partially out of his odd attraction to the thief, and partially because of shame for blushing when a _criminal_ got near him.

“...Yes,” Shuichi’s voice was soft, his eyes focusing on the mask before him. Were Joker’s eyes golden, like his own? Were his features more childish, or sharp?

“...Your heart,” Joker mimicked Shuichi’s softness, despite the teasing edge to his voice. “I stole your heart, my detective.” Before he could even attempt to respond, the thief took a glance at his (probably stolen) watch, and stepped back, stretching his arms wide to the world. “Think about it! Here we are, on the roof of the first place I robbed when you got put on my case - Say, how long ago was that, now?” His mask tilted to the detective, leaving him to only assume the expression under it. Something cocky, most likely - watching to see if he had caught on to why he was truly called here. 

“How… long?” He repeated softly, “About a year, right?”

Joker paused, arms moving to cross over his chest, “Did you _seriously_ forget? You’re so mean! I thought we had something!” Instantly, the theatrics were played up again. “I can’t believe you’d forget something as important as our anniversary!” 

Now was Shuichi’s turn to pause, taken aback by the claim. “Anniversary…? What do you-” Another beat of hesitation came from him as he belatedly realized something that he should’ve noticed when looking back at the previous case files. It was so obvious - and to think, he thought he had Joker’s motives figured out. “It’s been a full year since I was assigned to your case.” He concluded, a fond but exasperated smile forming onto his features. 

“A year in…” Joker glanced to his wrist, “A year now! Wow, I must’ve really swept you off your feet for you to remember, hmm?” 

A laugh came from the thief, who then reached into his pocket. He took out a… card, of sorts, handing it to the detective. On it, instead of being an “anniversary” card, it simply said:

_I’m sorry for your loss._

“For your heart,” Joker clarified.

Shuichi stared at it for a moment, the reality of the situation settling in. Joker was truly something special, wasn’t he? Laughter bubbled in his chest, his free hand resting on his mouth as it erupted, as if this card was the funniest thing that had ever happened to him. Somewhere along the line, Joker laughed with him, catching Shuichi by surprise but sending another wave of giggles through him. 

He stared at the thief between his fits, trying to imagine what his expression was behind the mask. Despite what everything his moral compass told him, Shuichi found himself realizing that there’s no place he’d rather be. And then, subsequently, that one day, this would end. 

After all, his only purpose for being assigned this case was to catch the thief - not court him. But how could he do that? Clearly, Joker’s organization wasn’t around. And if they were, they’d be too far to help if Shuichi attempted at taking him into custody. That meaning… Joker trusted him. In the same odd, twisted ways that he did.

“...Happy anniversary, my thief,” Shuichi spoke, voice more calm after his revelations. He would play along tonight - nobody knew he was here, so it shouldn’t be an issue keeping it that way, “I wish I would’ve remembered sooner, I would’ve gotten you something.” His tone laced itself with amusement, even if there was a bit of seriousness with his jest. 

“A man after my own heart,” His hand clenched over his chest to add more effect, “Be careful, detective! I don’t take kindly to people stealing from me.” Joker spoke, and Shuichi was certain there was nothing but a haughty smirk on his features. “That being said, I prefer white chocolate.”

The detective laughed, storing the information away for completely irrelevant reasons. 

Their interaction hadn’t lasted much longer than that, as it was the middle of the night and Joker had “important crimes to plan”. Shuichi hadn’t argued, simply wishing him a good night - going as far as to even ask when he’d see him again. Joker seemed shocked by this question, despite how he quickly broke the silence and told him that there would be no fun in telling him when the next job would be without it being in the form of some game. “Tonight’s had been boring enough,” Joker had reminded him, bidding adieu soon after.

That night, Shuichi’s dreams had been filled with clown masks, neon purple spray paint and a certain childish, thieving giggle. He found himself looking forward to the next heist - admittedly a bit guilty of that thought - and often pondered when he’d see him again. 

And, well - if Shuichi went out of his way to bring a box of white chocolates to the next crime scene, then that was for reasons _completely unrelated_ to how Joker told him it was his favorite.

Totally.

**Author's Note:**

> thank u to dilla and alex for beta reading and brainrotting with me over saiou (and amamatsu)!!! check them out on insta,, dilla is @literallyal0ser, and alex is @_alartes_ !!!  
> also if u wanna brainrot with me abt them pls lemme know i'm @kagebonn on twt!!


End file.
